DefenseNews

B-21 Raider bomber conducts test flights at Edwards Air Force Base

WASHINGTON — The B-21 Raider stealth bomber is carrying out test flights at Edwards Air Force Base in California, the U.S. Air Force has confirmed. The B-21 flew on Wednesday, Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek said in an email. It was not the first time the Northrop Grumman-made bomber flew since its arrival at Edwards in November 2023, but Stefanek declined to say how many flights it has taken…
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DefenseNews

What the Navy is learning from its fight in the Red Sea

Thirteen years ago, the current head of the Navy’s surface fleet was captaining the destroyer Carney. Even in 2010, airborne drones were a threat for which his ship had tactics and munitions at the ready, Vice Adm. Brendan McLane, now the head of Naval Surface Forces, told…
DefenseNews

Defense innovation hindered by Cold War-era practices, experts say

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon’s outdated weapons-buying processes are hampering its ability to integrate innovative technology and work with nimble start-up companies. A panel of defense experts wants to change that. The Commission on Defense Innovation Adoption, established by the Atlantic Council in 2022, issued 10 recommendations for helping the U.S. Department of Defense overcome its…
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DefenseNews

US Navy’s four unmanned ships return from Pacific deployment

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Navy completed its first deployment of four unmanned ships, which spent five months in the Pacific testing concepts for how to integrate their capabilities into crewed fleet operations. The unmanned surface vessels — Sea Hunter, Sea Hawk, Mariner…
DefenseNews

Navy tests how to relieve carrier strike group warships on station

The Navy is exploring a new surface fleet model that would augment a carrier strike group with additional destroyers and cruisers that the strike group did not initially deploy with, a move leaders hope will bolster readiness and improve flexibility of forces worldwide. Such a model brings a “plug-and-play” capability to naval forces like those currently in the Middle East – allowing for a…
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DefenseNews

US Army carves out its role in space

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army’s mission when it comes to operating in space and using space capabilities is shifting to adapt to the arrival of the U.S. Space Force. Before the Space Force’s establishment in 2019, the Army’s space-related mission areas included satellite communication; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; and missile warning. All of those capabilities were…
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